


Reflections

by enigmaticblue



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-26
Updated: 2010-03-26
Packaged: 2017-10-08 08:12:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/74518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doggett and Skinner meet at the Wall. Set during S8, while Mulder is still missing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reflections

On Veteran’s Day, John Doggett usually tried to get down to Camp Lejeune to visit the Beirut memorial. He couldn’t get away this year, not with everything that had been going on, but the Wall was within walking distance of the Bureau, and it seemed appropriate.

Flipping the collar on his greatcoat up to guard against the harsh November wind, Doggett stared at his reflection in the shiny, black surface. There were others present, but for the moment he felt completely alone, solitary.

His old man had missed Vietnam, but Doggett had an uncle who’d joined up. He’d heard a few stories, most while on leave after boot camp. Uncle Duane seemed to think they shared a connection that hadn’t been there before, and he talked about steamy nights that were filled with gunfire and the smell of reefer.

Later, much later, when he’d been given an honorable discharge after Beirut, Uncle Duane had talked about the horror of watching your friends get limbs blown off, of hands stained with the blood of innocents.

After Beirut, Doggett knew why Duane drank as much as he did, even if he had no intention of following in the older man’s footsteps.

“Agent Doggett?”

He turned slightly to see Skinner standing just behind him. “You working today, too, sir?”

“You know what they say. No rest for the wicked. Is Agent Scully in today?”

Doggett shrugged. “I told her to go home. She had her reports done from the last case, and I can handle the rest of the paperwork.”

Skinner nodded. “How is she doing?”

Doggett wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question. What did he know of Scully’s state of mind? She didn’t trust him; she certainly didn’t confide in him. That much had been clear from day one.

Because they were partners, and because they spent a substantial amount of time together, Doggett knew that something was physically wrong with her, that she was sick, but he had no idea what it might be.

“I think she’s tired,” he finally offered. “She won’t say much.”

Skinner nodded. “You have to understand—”

“I understand.” Doggett cut his superior off, not wanting to hear the platitudes and justifications, not today.

The Assistant Director let out a breath, then changed the subject. “You know anybody?”

Doggett knew what the other man was asking. “No. Had an uncle who was over there, but he made it out. You?” He knew that Skinner had been a Marine—no, was a Marine. There were some things that didn’t change, no matter how much time had passed.

“Yes. Quite a few.”

The silence that stretched out between them was not exactly comfortable, but there was a moment of understanding.

“Do you want to get a drink?”

Skinner’s question came as a surprise, but Doggett nodded slowly. “Sure.” The other man paused to take one last, long look at the Wall, and Doggett took the opportunity to ask a question that had been bothering him for a while now.

“Was it worth it, sir? What’s in those files in the basement, what Agent Scully says they found—”

Skinner shook his head. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Maybe that depends on what we do with that knowledge.”

Doggett considered that for a moment, then pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.

He was getting pretty good at that.


End file.
